Picture: From left: mutilated dead body of Hindu Priest Madhan Gopal Goswami at Manikchara, Middle: Looted and desecrated Radha-Raman Temple. Right: The arrested miscreant Saruar Hosian Sentu, a cadre of BNP (Ruling party of Bangladesh)
Translated from Daily Janakantha dated 30th April, 2002
Picture: From left: mutilated dead body of Hindu Priest Madhan Gopal Goswami at
Manikchara, Middle: Looted and desecrated Radha-Raman Temple. Right: The
arrested miscreant Saruar Hosian Sentu, a cadre of BNP (Ruling party of
Bangladesh)
Chittagong Office and Khagrachari Staff Reporter: Another
religious personal has become the victim of growing intolerance and perilous
terrorism. His name is Madhan Gopal Goswami (50). Within a week after the high
profile murder of Gayanjyoti Barua, a Buddhist monk, this brutal murder of Hindu
priest took place at Gochchabil, Manikchari of Khagrachari district under
Chittagong Hill tract.
At Sunday night, Mr. Goswami was brutally murdered in his own
"Shabasram" which he has build over time. Two other devotee
"Sabayet" women were also seriously wounded in this incident. The
terrorist broke into the Ashram (Temple) and went on rampage destroying
belongings at the Ashram and looted the pure gold statue of Lord "Radha
Govind" and Tk 50,000.00.
Police has arrested one terrorist in this incident.
There was huge protest called by local Hindu community and some high ranking
police personnel were rush to the spot to investigate the incident.
The local Hindu community is traumatized by the brutal
murder of the priest.
Mr. Goswami was murder at around 1 AM at night. He was sleeping in his own
Ashram at the Gochhabil hill tract of Manikchari while a group of terrorist
burst into the Ashram stabbing two women in their way in. Two devotee women Mrs.
Bakul Bala Devi (55) and Mother of Nupur (52) were also stabbed. The miscreants
then broke into the room of Goswami and dragged him to outside of the Temple and
stabbed him several times on his front and back.
Mr. Sajal Baran Sen, the Secretary of "Manikchari
Hindu Samajkalyan Parishad" asserted to this reporter quoting the devotees
that the “sabayets” rushed Mr. Goswami to the local hospital with the help
of locals once the terrorists left the spot. The doctor on duty at the hospital
found Goswami deceased. Police has returned the mutilated dead body of Goswami
to the Ashram after postmortem.
According to report, Mr. Goswami is a member of "International Krishna
Consciousness Society" of Mayapur, India. He has established this Ashram in
1992 at Gocchabil Hill tract of Manikchari. Although the Ashram was primarily
build out of his on money, local Hindu community latter contributed too. Around
12 children are also staying at the Ashram and receiving formal education
through the funding of the Ashram.
The terrorist Saruar Hosain Sentu who was arrested in this incident is a well
known cadre of BNP (Bangladesh National Party).
Local Hindu community was outraged by the brutal murder and has arranged huge
protest gatherings at Manikchari. According to locals, there is none but
one motive for the brutal murder of a peaceful "Shanyashi" like Mr.
Goswami and that is racial intolerance.
The leaders of local HBCUC (Hindu Buddhist Unity Council) has demanded immediate
arrest of the miscreants in this regards.
